ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION:
The '2 Spirits in Motion Society' (2SiMS) is a registered national non-profit society incorporated in July 2018 under the relevant society laws of the Government of Canada. The organization is governed by a ten (10) member provisional Board of Directors from various locations throughout Canada. 2SiMS held it's first Annual General Meeting (AGM) on January 26, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario during the 2nd Wind Forum on 2 Spirit People.
2SiM was born from discussions at Two Spirits in Motion: the 1st Canadian Forum on 2 Spirit Peoples, HIV/AIDS and Health held in Edmonton, Alberta in February 2003. There were just over 82 delegates at the inaugural Forum where a number of key recommendations were made to advance 2 Spirit community needs and issues in Canada at the national level. Two significant recommendations were to:
- Create a national 2 Spirit organization; and,
- continue hosting national Forums on 2 Spirit people.
We look forward to continuing the good work started by the many who came before us like Gay American Indians (GAI) who helped establish the first Gay and Lesbian Gatherings in the 1980’s. The first Native American Gay and Lesbian gathering was held in Minneapolis in the summer of 1988. It was decided then that future gatherings would be held in natural spaces as opposed to urban centres. Since then we have travelled across North American to honour Two-Spirit people in their traditional territories. In this way, we reclaim our sacred roles and spaces. https://twospiritmanitoba.ca/2s-gathering-history